{ nobody home }

2012-01-31T20:41:00.000-05:00

huge breakfast food at 3pm, while biking around clinton hill,

at mike's coffee shop - i had 2 over easy eggs and grits (and a bite

of sausage) and m got a huge platter of hanger steak & eggs, with

a side bowl of grits as well.

dang that was a lot of steak but it was so good, especially at $9 for

the whole plate.

2012-01-30T21:07:00.002-05:00

m came back from trader joe's with a huge haul (yay!) and with

some sushi from there, since i've been craving some lately.

unfortunately their gummy-textured rice didn't do the name sushi

justice, but still hit the spot oddly enough.

luckily i made a simple miso soup with woodear mushrooms and kale

so it wasn't too hard to swallow the gumminess.

2012-01-29T20:06:00.000-05:00

made kimchi jigae again with our csa greens that needed to be eaten,

tatsoi to be more exact, with some smoked trout from trader joe's in

lieu of tofu. brothy and good, eaten over rice.

and m eats it with much less broth over rice like this, and slurps the

broth in separate spoonfuls :

2012-01-27T20:58:00.000-05:00

a longish walk and a bite to eat at LA burritos - as the name says,

their food is LA/Mission style mexican food, decent for the price

and a huge variety of styles.

m got a chipotle chicken burrito and i got a "monterey", which is a

kind of huevos rancheros burrito, done in californian style.

pretty dang yummy.

2012-01-26T20:27:00.002-05:00

homemade tamago-don (egg & mushroom over rice), basically oyako-don

minus the chicken, m made tonight.

i had a recipe in mind, but he just winged it, and it came out so so good!!!

nom nom nom we slurped it all up wanting more.

2012-01-25T20:26:00.000-05:00

pho! banh mi!

at lollipop.

2012-01-24T22:24:00.002-05:00

lunch & hangout at super core : yummy lunch specials of meatballs over rice,

veggie curry, and "super healthy" (tofu patty, salad, brown rice with carrot

dressing). yummy yummy.

then m made another amazing pasta - farfalle with maitake mushrooms

and tinned sardines in tomato sauce - so good and brothy tasting.

ahhhhh!!! so good.

2012-01-22T23:05:00.002-05:00

it finally feels more like winter now that it's snowed, and we skipped

eating at samurai mama like last year, and went next door to dokebi

to warm up & celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary. :D

after debating over whether or not to get a table grill of bulgogi or shrimp,

we got a nice, brothy bowl of spicy kalbi-tang (spiciness making it more

like yookgaejang, but still really good), and nakji bokum, a spicy stir fry

of octopus (a smaller kind more like squid, not the regular ones) and

veggies over udon noodles - alongside really yummy mixed grain rice &

banchan.

unfortunately, the nakji hokum was a bit of a letdown due to the toughness

of the octopus and overly saucy spiciness, but the soup alone was a real

success. and their rice is so good.

still super satisfying and still too full.

and it did snow finally (yesterday)!!

2012-01-18T21:49:00.002-05:00

made some kind of unorthodox (because i put broccoli rabe & salmon)

version of denjang jigae, which turned out pretty yummy over rice,

especially on a rather windy night after a windy run.

next time i cook with denjang, i will make this "Kang denjang" with some

lettuce wrap (ssam) with rice. yum yum.

2012-01-17T21:46:00.000-05:00

m made yet another amazing pasta - spaghetti with clam meat, garlic

& edamame (!!) in tomato sauce. edamame was brilliant - a bit nuttier

& chewier than had it been some other beans, like fava or broad beans.

yummy!!!

and a delicious apple pie & coffee we had earlier in the afternoon

at blue stove :

2012-01-15T19:11:00.002-05:00

i think today was the coldest day this winter so far, walking back

home from our coffee excursion was almost unbearable (i blame

that on this unseasonably mild winter that made me such a wuss).

back home, m made this incredible shoyu ramen (one of the semi-

instant fresh ramen from fridge sections) with woodear mushrooms,

clam meat and kale. i am not sure that i could eat ramen at restaurants

much anymore, this was so good.

wow wow wow.

2012-01-13T23:10:00.000-05:00

dreary windstormy winter days (i swear i've seen some snowflakes

somewhere in there) require some comfort food - today it's kimchi

fried rice - enhanced with some spicy mentaiko pasta sauce, and

topped with over easy eggs. yummy yummy.

2012-01-12T16:10:00.000-05:00

definitely nowhere near as good as pho in chinatown, much less

comparable to californian phos, but the classic pho at lollipop

has definitely improved - and sometimes a staple when the winter

has actually started to act like one in NYC.

2012-01-11T21:18:00.002-05:00

m's first kimchi jigae (great job!!) - kind of similar to this one i made

a while back, with the brat-makrele, and fortified with tofu & perilla leaves.

so so brothy and delicious. yum yum yummy.

2012-01-10T23:07:00.004-05:00

who knew broccoli rabe would be so good in pasta?!!

m made yet another amazing pasta tonight with whatever was in

the fridge - dried mushrooms, broccoli rabe that was dying, some

tinned trout, anchovies, and tada - this was amazing!!!!

2012-01-09T19:34:00.000-05:00

sometimes one needs a good, simple slice from a nearby 60+ year old,

old timey brookyn pizza parlor.

we got a classic cheese slice, a fresh mozz, and a sausage/pepperoni with mozz,

that pretty much took us over the edge of breadiness for a while.

(this was after a gyro and a falafel wrap for each of us).

my favorite part of the whole shopfront is this old, hand drawn historical

map of the neighborhood hanging on the wall :

2012-01-08T21:06:00.000-05:00

m made this great mixed veggie & beans soup, clearing out our

remaining winter vegetables from our last month's csa haul.

i took a turn at making the cornbread this time, which turned out

pretty decent!! all topped with fage greek yogurt and it's all goodness.

2012-01-07T23:47:00.002-05:00

beautiful spring-like day in the middle of january!

farmers market, biking around, and having lunch at ash box :

my usual salmon onigiri with tofu salad, and m got a brunch special

of turkey & egg with salad & brown rice.

as always, so cleanly good - which seems very hard to do!

and some exciting new/old things :

newly equipped front handlebar situation on my city bike -

m snuck around and surprised me with new handlebar/brake levers/

basket/cork grips!

m recently got this gently used aeropress off craigslist (for $10!),

which became a revolution to our coffee drinking experiences. wowwow.

goodbye french press! (at least for a while).

2012-01-06T21:33:00.003-05:00

finally tried the ramen & other food at brooklyn ramen joint, chuko,

where my friend kana works. it really helped to go with her, since

we got extra food from the kitchen on the house!

above are appetizers : pork meatballs with soft-cooked egg, topped with

pickles & mustard - so perfectly cooked, amazing.

the bottom two are fried brussels sprouts & kale salad, were both on a tad

bit saucy side for me, but still amazing. kale salad came with fresh kale AND

crispy fried kale - brilliant & so so good!!

(they also gave us fried chicken wings, which i forgot to photograph)

then the ramen!

my shoyu ramen - perfectly cooked eggs & chicken. great broth.

kana's tonkotsu ramen - the best part as the mustard greens, which

perfectly balances out the richness of the pork bone broth.

the roasted pork on it melts in your mouth.

then m's special ramen - spicy miso broth topped with kimchi and

ground pork, making up for interesting flavors :

yummy!!!!! thanks kana!!

2012-01-05T18:24:00.002-05:00

made dukboki (once my favorite food of all time) for the first time

in a while.

this time, using kimchi, veggie sausages, broccoli rabe, fish cake,

and topped with sesame leaves (perilla) and romano cheese.

pretty good but next time i'll crisp the duk (mochi) and the sausages

before putting the sauce on.

2012-01-04T18:53:00.002-05:00

vamos al tequila has delicious food that sadly doesn't seem to agree

with us very well - m got food poisoning there once, and today i got

a stomach ache after the grilled chicken salad & the ground beef burrito.

i bet this was our last visit there, unfortunately.

oh well.

2012-01-03T23:05:00.003-05:00

yummy vietnamese lunch at lollipop on the coldest day this winter

so far (it was round 19ºF at the time) - some banh mi's, sardine &

grilled chicken, and hot pho noodles with grilled pork chop did us

right for all that windchill.

actually had this before the lunch above - raspberry pecan

cobbler pie at blue stove, with their bottomless coffee.

and amazing pasta m made for dinner- spaghetti with clams,

smoked oysters, brussels sprouts, tomatoes & mushrooms with

grated romano, making it all creamy and delicious.

i hereby declare him my favorite pasta chef in the world!

yes yes i do!

2012-01-01T23:03:00.001-05:00

happy new year!

spicy miso soup with tofu, woodear mushrooms, pea sprouts

and some mochi to start the year. happy 2012 and happy food!

2011-12-31T23:31:00.000-05:00

an epic food day - m's brother was in town, so we took him

around our neighborhood then into manhattan for lunch

at menkuitei for his first ramen experience.

we ordered shio saba (salt grilled mackerel) for appetizer,

and tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen for jesse, shoyu ramen

for me, and an oyako-don for m.

all success!!

then for new year's eve dinner, our friend julia made a great

vegan chili and apple strudel. amazing for our last meal of

2011 - not to mention the great company.

yay!

2011-12-30T18:31:00.004-05:00

zomg. we baked!

well, out of the box but still - our first baked goodie is this

cornbread - slightly dry but yummy.

can't wait to try making it again next time - maybe with some

ricotta or feta?

2011-12-29T16:31:00.000-05:00

satisfying (too much so) lunch at shanghai lee.

roast chili chicken & shrimp with broccoli, both with brown rice

and unpictured soups & eggrolls.

yummyyyyy.

2011-12-27T23:22:00.000-05:00

homemade ramen and brussels sprouts with garlic and ginger

m made for sick me.

we bought one of those 'fresh' ramen, which came with amazing

broth, but soon realized that without cold-rinsing the noodles

(after cooking them separately from the soup, unlike dry ramen)

the noodles taste totally gummy, goopy and disgusting.

but after shocking the noodles in cold water, it was like being at a

ramenya.

can't wait till the next time we cook this!

2011-12-26T21:58:00.000-05:00

i wish i had taken a better photo of this, but i was too delirious

with feeling sick when i did.

but m's another amazing pasta dish with trader joe's turkey meatballs

in tomato sauce over spaghetti. mmmmm~~~~

2011-12-25T23:02:00.001-05:00

christmas in chinatown yet again. this time we went in a little

earlier to secure a good chinese dinner to save ourselves from

expecting mediocre meals every year.

luckily we broke the bad spell this year, and had a great meal at

shanghai cafe deluxe, where we had xiao long bao's (look at the

juiciness!), snow pea leaves, and squid over rice - ending with

some red bean ball (not pictured) and egg tarts for desserts at

fay da bakery.

and doing other touristy things, just because we can :

impressive little straw sculpture animals on bayard & baxter.

one of my favorite parks in the city, columbus park, in lower chinatown,

where older chinese people congregate and play cards & games around

the sun yat-sen statue.

merry christmas to all!

2011-12-24T16:21:00.004-05:00

it's been a while since we last ate at supercore, but man, is

their food amazing!

we got their japanese classic brunch platter, one with benitori

(soy sauce braised chicken) and one with chikuzen-ni (chicken,

veggies & konnyaku stew), both with brown rice, kimchi, spinach

namul, and hijiki.

so delicious, homey, and warming in a slightly chillier weather

today.

2011-12-23T17:06:00.002-05:00

i've been on soup & rice kick lately, and today i had a strong

craving for something brothy, kimchi-y, with rice.

so some kind of a kimchi soup (brothier/soupier version of kimchi jigae)

was in order, though it's something i've made up mostly... with

kale, mushrooms and tinned salmon.

so perfect with brown rice on my churny stomach today.

(anything kimchi also goes nicely with eggs. yummy.)

2011-12-22T09:48:00.000-05:00

craving diner breakfast, we ended up at manhattan 3 decker diner.

(and actually during proper breakfast hour, unlike other times)

challah french toast, eggs, potatoes & sausages.

did hit our cravings but janky diner food it was.

2011-12-21T23:48:00.000-05:00

amazing omelette & salad matthew made for dinner - yes

dinner, because that's how we roll.

fluffy perfect, jacque pepin would approve.

2011-12-20T23:39:00.003-05:00

banh mis (grilled chicken & dac biet) and pho with grilled pork chop at

lollipop - lucky for us, they've only been getting better, especially as the

weather gets cold.

2011-12-19T21:33:00.000-05:00

amazingly fantastic pasta m made for dinner tonight.

farfalle with simple olive oil, chili flakes, garlic, dried mushroom

and smoked oysters, topped with fresh herbs & grated parm.

perfect amount of sauciness achieved by using pasta water and

mushroom water. wow wow.

2011-12-18T20:54:00.002-05:00

dinner is always cheap & plenty at north side bakery,

but today was a disappointment due to the lack of warmth

in the food - lesson learned, not to go there near closing time.

roasted chicken thigh, pork schnitzel, mashed potatoes for m,

and i got pineapple chicken & some kind of rice dish.

definitely only getting their chicken thigh from now on.

then we witnessed christmas cheer scattered about brooklyn in

full force, equipped with mechanically articulated merry-go-rounds

and ferris wheels, on top of everything else christmas :

ahhh love.

2011-12-16T22:26:00.002-05:00

made a weird east-west concoction of kimchi jigae with a can of brat-makrele,

with kale, mushrooms, and topped with some pea sprouts.

the mackerel already came with some spicy tanginess (würziger marinade)

that, combined with cooked ripe kimchi, made a great brothy flavor

that i normally cannot get out of kimchi alone.

pea sprouts were so good, adding some fresh bite to the flavor as well,

yet so comfort-foody over brown rice.

for a meal that had been rather randomly thrown together,

this really was quite fantastic, if i may say so myself! :)

2011-12-14T23:56:00.000-05:00

a childhood friend came to town, and while walking around,

we stopped in at prince street cafe for dinner.

she got duck confit & truffle oil pasta, which seemed bottomless

no matter how much we ate it, and caesar salad. and i had a sudden

craving for breakfast food, so i got their french toast.

this was one of the largest amount of food i've experienced in an NYC

café so far after all these years.

even then, after walking off our dinner a bit, we looked for dessert,

and went to doma for café alongé and tiramisu - both very delicious!

now i'm full.

2011-12-13T18:57:00.002-05:00

thanks to the christmas decorations, the photos came out very

pukey colored, but the food was very excellent at vamos al tequila.

a big burrito filled with carne asada type beef steak, with some

kind of magic sauce - then my grilled chicken & mango salad.

both yummy, though the salad felt a little too summery for the

weather.

2011-12-12T21:56:00.000-05:00

lunch at menkuitei. yakibuta (roasted pork) ramen in delicious

clear broth and a gigantic mabo-don.

so so satisfying.

2011-12-11T20:18:00.002-05:00

matthew makes the best pasta, which is why it's very hard for us

to eat pasta out.

this time he made spaghetti with dried mushrooms & smoked

clams in tomato sauce with garlic & basil.

omg omg omg so good.

2011-12-10T19:44:00.000-05:00

craving something spicy and also something green, but not wanting

to go too far out of sheer fatigue, we went to shanghai lee, the inauthentic

authentic chinese place near by.

and i got what i craved, hot & sour soup, chicken in red curry sauce,

and a pile of chinese broccoli (has to be my favorite chinese dish of all time).

so satisfying, and i stayed full forever.

2011-12-08T22:13:00.000-05:00

chicken tikka masala and saag bah jee, with fluffy garlic naan

at bombay garden... which were surprisingly good, especially

on a cold night like this.

but eating at indian restaurants is almost a once-annual occurrence

for us, because now i feel like i have too much richness & starch in

my belly.

2011-12-07T21:12:00.001-05:00

vietnamese grilled chicken over rice and pork chop pho at

lollipop - very delicious today, more than other days.

unfortunately, midway through eating, i realized we missed out

on amazing chanko nabe at a friend's place. darn!

2011-12-05T22:58:00.000-05:00

cold weather sometimes has me craving meat, maybe it's the

initial fatigue that comes with the season-change.

so we finally tried happy end (yes they only serve food), a polish joint

& neighborhood institution of sort.

we ordered beef stew & meat balls in gravy - both came with mashed

potatoes (perfectly chunky, the way we like) and a plate of "veggies".

good deal & satisfying!

2011-12-04T18:59:00.002-05:00

feeling a little under the weather and in need of some comfort food,

i made some weird miso soup concoction tonight that was so satisfying.

regular miso soup with tatsoi greens, dried mushrooms, & poached egg

all over rice, with some kimchi added.

2011-12-02T23:11:00.000-05:00

i didn't get around to photograph the first round of food we had

at the new vanessa's dumplings in brooklyn.

we'd ordered (not pictured) tuna salad sesame pancake sandwich,

pork & chive dumplings, corn soup, hot & sour soup, which were all

decent - especially the tuna sesame pancake sandwich.

the peking duck sesame pancake sandwich (pictured) was a sad disaster.

even ignoring how it was put together (as seen above), it simply had just

too much sauce - overpowering everything with saltiness.

yuck.

2011-11-30T23:10:00.000-05:00

late night korean fast-food meal at woorijip, after an amazing

performance by shen wei dance arts at the park avenue armory.

we were starving during the performance, then had a ham sandwich

and coffee during the intermission, so we decided to have a "light"

meal at woorijip.

instead we ordered too much of a so-so flavored food.

spicy pork over rice (kind of cold), dukboki (over cooked), sea kelp

soup, and kimbap were all too filling afterwards, especially on our

bike ride back home. :(

i did like the kimbap dipped in dukboki sauce though.

2011-11-28T18:09:00.004-05:00

today we had dessert first then dinner.

amazing apple pie with coffee (and a sketchbook) at blue

stove bakery - then homemade ramen noodles with dried

woodear mushrooms, komatsuna, tatsoi, carrots and drop-

poached eggs.

all decent except i overcooked the noodles. -_-

oh well.

2011-11-27T21:09:00.000-05:00

dinner at lollipop vietnamese. they seem to have a manic record

of on & off days, as far as their flavors/quality go.

last time was so-so, but this time, besides their noodles in pho,

the broth, pork chop (came with pho), & both classic and grilled chicken

banh mi's were mostly on.

not bad when we have cravings for some hot asian soup but not

in the mood to go into the city for it.

2011-11-26T18:51:00.002-05:00

m made one of his amazing pastas tonight.

spaghetti in tomato sauce with garlic, rosemary, smoked oysters,

and dried shiitake mushrooms.

couldn't get enough of this!

2011-11-25T22:53:00.002-05:00

i love that burritos feel "light" after the big thanksgiving meal.

i splurged and got a salmon burrito, which was good with the lightness

of brown rice, bean salad in lieu of fried beans, but the the glaze on

salmon was much too sweet - i had to pretty much bathe the burrito

in the hot sauce.

m got a spicy beef burrito, which he said was just decent.

i do like that these came in spinach tortillas.

2011-11-24T23:08:00.000-05:00

happy thanksgiving!!

we spent a wonderful thanksgiving with a potluck dinner

at audrey's place, with a real 13-pound turkey from our csa

and all kinds of sides.

the turkey is up there pre-carve, and below post-carve.

all our delicious sides above : arugula & pear salad, stuffings,

brussels sprouts, mashed autumn squash, cold cucumber salad,

gravy, real cranberry sauce, vegan gravy, tempeh (for our vegan

buddy), etc etc.

my plate below :

not only did audrey cook the turkey & stuffings, she made

2 desserts.

pumpkin cheesecake, and poached pears!

poached pear with vegan mint chip ice cream :

our feline guest looking as if he'd cleared a plate :

and a beautiful view of the sunset from audrey's window :

2011-11-23T20:01:00.000-05:00

winter csa salad!

the greens being purple mizuna, swiss chard, red komatsuna,

topped with shredded carrots, grilled onions, roasted walnuts,

pear, and yummy over easy eggs.

so so so delicious.

2011-11-22T22:55:00.000-05:00

yummy dinner at samurai mama with kana.

i didn't get around to take a picture of her shrimp tempura udon,

but pictured above are gyoza appetizer (in cast-iron skillet),

my sansai udon, and m's pork belly udon - all so so good,

beyond perfect on a chilly rainy day.

their udon is cooked so al dente-ish and somehow to stay that way

throughout the meal, never getting soggy.

2011-11-19T13:14:00.000-05:00

too bad the photos came out all pink, thanks to their awesome neon

decor - but the food was (as it always is) great at shanghai café.

broccoli with garlic sauce, spicy beef stew over rice, and of course,

an order of soup dumplings.

dang good.

2011-11-18T17:12:00.002-05:00

with sudden cravings, we went to saint's alp for lunch, oddly

without ordering any bubble tea (we hadn't been here in a couple

years).

seasoned chicken over rice, some fish ball in noodle soup, and

some sampler platter of dumplings.

i must remember to just stick to their rice dishes (bian dang).

2011-11-17T20:11:00.000-05:00

feeling a little under the weather we couldn't brave it out to

join the crowd at occupy wall street N17, we opted to have

some yummy cheap polish dinner at northside bakery.

huge platter of main dishes & sides were roughly $6 per.

roasted chicken leg, hunter's stew, pierogis, mashed potatoes,

broccoli and some pickled cabbage made it for a nice warm

dinner.

2011-11-16T14:58:00.002-05:00

home made kimchi fried rice with fried egg topping, a perfect

lunch on a rainy day after a long walk :

2011-11-15T21:53:00.000-05:00

yummy mini apple pie with coffee at the blue stove.

perfect balance of sweet, flaky, awesomeness.

2011-11-14T21:55:00.002-05:00

super half-assed quick meal of instant ramen noodles my parents

sent me a couple months ago.

i added tatsoi, shiitake, kimchi and an egg into the soup to make

it a little less unhealthy - nothing amazing, but hit the cravings

i had for something salty, spicy and brothy!

2011-11-11T15:26:00.002-05:00

such good lunch deal at khao sarn thai ($6/person!)

appetizers (tom yum veggie soup & steamed dumplings)

with the main entrees of red chicken curry & veggie duck

and broccoli in thai soy sauce, both with brown rice.

a bit salty but so good on a windy chilly day.

2011-11-09T23:03:00.000-05:00

another night of kimchi jigae stew, this time with kale & choy leaves.

and m made some simple (but delicious) stir fry of CSA kale, purple bokchoy,

dried shiitake (rehydrated), and some hot peppers from our CSA.

the stew was not as good as last time, probably because half my mind

was preoccupied with uploading my new shop :

2011-11-08T18:28:00.002-05:00

a long walk then a nice, clean meal at ash box.

salami & pepper sandwich with ciabatta bread, and my salmon onigiri

with a small salad with egg salad.

2011-11-07T17:47:00.002-05:00

went for a long walk (gasp, not bike!) and stopped by LA burritos again.

this time i got the monterey (huevos rancheros burrito) with black beans,

and m got a chicken molé burrito.

such good budget eats - cheap and yummy and super filling!

2011-11-05T23:47:00.000-04:00

our favorite middle eastern place finally reopened just in time for

our hankerings.

to replace our memories of a subpar food at another place, we ordered

the same things - lentil soup, falafel sandwich, and a lamb gyro wrap.

and yes, this is how we liked it!

2011-11-04T23:28:00.002-04:00

today, i was craving dumplings after proofing some prints,

but a few dumpling houses were so packed with people.

thankfully, because of that, we finally tried shanghai café.

the soup dumplings (xiao long bao's) were excellent,

the squid with pickled cabbage over rice was a good match with

broccoli with garlic sauce (though i'd have liked it better with

chinese broccoli)

2011-11-03T19:50:00.002-04:00

csa pick up, art store run, and hot food at menkuitei on a beautiful

fall afternoon...

mabo tofu over rice and shoyu ramen.

a bit salty tasting today, but still so good.

2011-11-02T20:08:00.002-04:00

soup fever! chilly weather calls for endless soup marathons.

tonight, m made a concoction of this vegetable soup (with some tinned

shrimp he accidentally bought at TJ) that is very gumbo-like.

mmm~mmmm~

i'd never had real gumbo yet but i think i will like it when i have it.

2011-11-01T23:45:00.002-04:00

made kimchi jigae stew with tinned mackerel i got at a japanese

market the other day. such a simple dish, all flavored and seasoned

to perfection thanks to the way kimchi is already made.

and we eat it over rice like this!

2011-10-31T21:18:00.000-04:00

burritos at LA burritos.

LA style it was!

mission burrito (all vegetables) & jerk chicken burrito in spinach tortilla.

next time i'll try some other burrito with black beans instead of pinto.

2011-10-28T21:07:00.000-04:00

tried a new lebanese joint called tent.

we ordered a lamb gyro, falafel sandwich, lentil soup and lebanese salad.

unfortunately, none of these were great - very weird balance of taste for

the soup & the salad, and the wraps were just mushy.

i'm just hoping our regular falafel place reopens soon.

2011-10-27T19:46:00.001-04:00

homemade soup with tons of veggies from everywhere & our CSA.

so perfect on a chilly rainy day.

2011-10-26T19:39:00.005-04:00

an EPIC brunch with tanley of arrested motion at five leaves.

starting with their mussels (so good with the soaked bread),

tanley got their famous ricotta pancakes and a side of bacons,

and i some granola with fruit.

it was definitely too much food for me, but so yummy!

then for dinner :

janky chinese food (always good) at shanghai lee.

chicken & veggies in curry sauce and the chinese broccoli with garlic.

pretty dang good today!

2011-10-21T21:38:00.001-04:00

amazing salad m made with our CSA veggies & eggs.

arugula, escarole, kale, grilled eggplant, tomatoes, eggs, carrots, walnuts,

mushrooms, gorgonzola cheese, potatoes & smoked herrings.

omg so good!!!

2011-10-20T23:38:00.001-04:00

oh my, i forget how good cocoron was.

we were lucky to get in right when there were only 2 seats left open.

above are their kashiwa soba (chicken meat & meatballs) and my tororo & wakame soba.

the white stuff is tororo - grated yamaimo (mountain yam).

it's got a thickening, gooey texture, which i'm sure some people hate,

but i like it a lot in soup.

i'd have eaten the cold natto soba (amazing), but it was a chilly day,

and i felt i needed their bonito broth.

2011-10-16T19:25:00.001-04:00

this is a mixture of photos from 2 separate trips to lollipop,

a new vietnamese joint in the neighborhood.

because we'd just had amazing vietnamese in california during our trip,

it definitely couldn't be as good as it was there, but the banhmi's were decent here.

we got shrimp rolls, 2 banhmi's (classic dat biet & pork?), and a bún (vermicelli bowl) with shrimp.

i had a sardine banhmi the first time, and i think that was my favorite.

i didn't care for the bún too much, as i didn't expect the shrimp & veggies to be stir-fried...

i guess i'll have to save pho & bún cravings for chinatown and go to lollipop when

we're jonesing for some banhmi.

2011-10-13T19:22:00.000-04:00

{ SF trip food 6 }

last meal in california was at a random vietnamese place, pho k&k,

farther south on telegraph (away from the main drag) in berkeley,

before heading off to oakland airport.

it was definitely one of the best vietnamese meals i've had in a long while.

the shrimp rolls were great, filled with veggies, the rice noodles were cooked

perfectly, with all of its elasticity and flavor in tact.

the pho broth and my seafood broth were both amazing!

2011-10-12T22:20:00.001-04:00

{ SF trip food 5 }

family dinner (parents, sister, sister's boyfriend & us) at an italian place

in noe valley, Lupa Trattoria.

m & i got an arugula salad and this penne with mushrooms to share.

others had ravioli that seemed to look so delicious!

2011-10-11T23:29:00.002-04:00

{ SF trip food 4 }

Great outdoor eating in carrie's backyard.
Cheese & crackers for lunch the BBQ chicken and corn for dinner.
Yummy!

2011-10-10T15:21:00.001-04:00

{ SF trip food 3 }

breakfast at la boulange in noe valley.

this place had good coffee, and near my sis-in-law's place,

so we kept coming back for the mid-day hump coffee.

oatmeal with fruits, frittata with salad, and special breakfast sandwich

with egg & bacon.

2011-10-09T23:21:00.001-04:00

{ SF trip food 2 }

family burrito bar dinner at my sister-in-law's place.

so delicious!!!

2011-10-09T16:20:00.001-04:00

{ SF trip food 1 }

our first full day in SF was rainy and chilly, but it was very pleasant

and fresh feeling to us.

after taking a long walk, we stopped at blue fig in the mission

for a bite - bagel & lox and i got waffles.

nothing amazing, but decent, simple food.

2011-10-08T19:19:00.002-04:00

{ LA trip food 5 }

before leaving for san francisco out of long beach airport,

we hung out in long beach for a while - made a stop for a mexican

meal (it's imperative to have some mexican in CA when we can!).

we found a small place called Lola's on 4th street.

it was yummy food - their chips & salsa (free, of course!) was really good.

i got mushroom & spinach tacos, and m got a huge mole chicken burrito.

i forgot how much they give you at mexican places here!

2011-10-08T16:15:00.002-04:00

{ LA trip food 4 }

Pho cafe in Silver lake has surprisingly good food

(surprising because of the location and the hip factor).

We used to frequent this place 8 years ago when we lived in CA

but hardly anything has changed so far - in a great way.

The crepes are simply amazing, and I forgot how much better the pho noodles are on the west coast.

Sooooo good.

2011-10-07T23:12:00.002-04:00

{ LA trip food 3 }

After eating so much meat last night, then a huge pasta for lunch,
We didn't feel much like a lot of food.

We ended up with clean, fresh (albeit being made in an assembly line) grilled octopus & arugula salad and seared tuna at tender greens.

2011-10-07T16:06:00.001-04:00

{ LA trip food 2 }

Lunch at Spoon House in Gardena with an old friend.
I haven't found a Japanese-Italian place to match this in NYC.
Spaghetti bolognese, uni tarako spaghetti, and natto spaghetti.

2011-10-06T23:04:00.002-04:00

{ LA trip food 1 }

Post-print-signing epic yakiniku meal with Mari, Audrey, and Yoskay at Tokyo Kalbi.
I hadn't eaten so much meat in so long!

So good though, with especially in such great company.

2011-10-05T21:58:00.001-04:00

Delicious meal at pho bang before leaving for LA.

Seafood noodle soup & sour fish soup.

2011-10-04T23:34:00.002-04:00

Spaghetti m cooked with smoked oysters, smoked sardines, Brussels sprouts & garlic. Simple but so flavorful with layers of texture too.

And I mistakenly ordered this cool haus ice cream sandwich after the usually

pleasant meal at ash box.

It said "waffle cookie" but I'm still confused as to what is "waffle" about this.

Hmmmmph

2011-09-25T17:40:00.000-04:00

lunch special at khao sarn is one of the best deals around.

we each got a lunch special, which comes with an appetizer.

we got tom yum soup and spring rolls (which was fried, unfortunately) as starters,

and green curry with chicken & veggie soy duck with broccoli in thai soy sauce,

with sides of brown rice.

really satisfying & delicious, especially for $6.75 a head.

2011-09-18T23:38:00.000-04:00

mid-painting midnight breakfast.

fried egg, bean salsa m made, and pan-seared brussels sprouts with parm.

yummy!

2011-09-14T23:36:00.000-04:00

fruit pat-bingsoo, korean shaved ice, at paris baguette on what seems like

the last warm (muggy) day of the year, after the polaroid party.

that was a LOT of shaved ice.

2011-09-13T17:34:00.000-04:00

great (and low-price) lunch specials at supercore.

i got a giant platter of tofu patties, salad & brown rice,

and m got meatballs on rice.

they raised the prices by $1 but still a good deal.

2011-09-12T20:28:00.000-04:00

birthday dinner at samurai mama.

though a bit too fancy, i love the details of the designs of this restaurant.

all very used & rustic, but beautifully arranged.

their gyoza (that spiral looking thing in 2nd photo) came half steamed & half

baked/pan-fried in a cast-iron skillet. the brown-crisped crêpe-like layer holding

the 6 pieces together. so so so delicious.

we also got some sushi rolls, salmon & yellowtail with shiso,

and sansai (mountain vegetable) udon.

all were so so delicious, beautifully concocted.

i'd started the morning with a cup of coffee and this yummy chocolate

cupcake a had made for me :

a great day it was!

2011-09-11T23:24:00.000-04:00

pre-birthday meal with m & at pies n thighs.

a got fried chicken platter with baked beans and biscuit (beans were no good),

m got a pulled pork sandwich with mac & cheese,

and i got fried fish with collard greens and corn bread.

we shared sour cherry pie for dessert.

though i don't really understand all the hype, food is decent but for what it is,

the price is too expensive. i mean, it ain't THAT good.

2011-09-02T21:19:00.000-04:00

yummies at il porto pizzeria.
arugula & parmesan salad, pasta fagioli (so so good), and margherita pizza.
their pizza is definitely one of my favorites!

2011-09-01T23:16:00.000-04:00

{ i'd been without a computer for a while, then swamped with work without time to mess with computers,so i'm only posting these food pics now... }ramen noodles at menkuitei with m & a.i got the brothy shoyu ramen, and they got the hiyashi chuka, the cold ramen noodles.afterwards, we got desserts from the dessert truck.my nutella donuts were a huge hit, though it was really really hard to finish these enormoustwins filled with sweet stuff.so pillowy and yummy, though.

2011-08-30T21:29:00.002-04:00

yummies at khao sarn thai.

tom yum kung, steamed dumplings, broccoli in soy sauce with soy duck,

red curry with shrimp, with brown rice.

so dependable and good!

2011-08-28T18:30:00.001-04:00

after riding around on our bikes checking out the post-Irene brooklyn,

(feeling very lucky that nothing too disastrous seemed to have happened

at least near by), looking for a place to duck from the still super crazy

wind & rain, we finally ended up at le gamin.

m got their amazing (though super rich) croque madame,

and i wasn't too hungry so i got their tartine platter, just to accompany

their delicious coffee (americano & café au lait).